The Importance of Regular Dental Exams

Dentists are feared by many people who have had bad experiences with their mouths in the past. The bad experience could have been a tooth extraction or merely sensitive teeth. Dental exams are a crucial part, however, of maintaining overall good health but to be an indicator of good health, the dental has to perform the exam properly.

It has recently been determined that the panoramic x-rays that dentists sometimes perform on their patients will display calcified plaque and other blockages in the arteries of the upper neck and head. If interpreted correctly, this can be a huge step forward in preventing strokes. Unfortunately, it is entirely too easy for a poorly trained technician or dentist to miss these obvious features.

Another area where dentists play a crucial role is in detecting oral cancer. Because dentists get such an intimate look at all of what is going on in one’s mouth, they are given the best chance of detecting things that may be oral cancer or indicative of oral cancer. This is crucial as many people miss oral cancer in its early stages because they have not been to the dentist.

While oral cancer may be easier to treat than lung or brain cancer, it is still cancer and there are huge benefits to catching it early rather than late. When the dentist misses the early signs, life can be much more difficult for the patient. The cancer is also given an opportunity to spread to other parts of the body.

Finally, dentists may be in a position to detect diabetes before anyone else. As one of the symptoms is fruity-smelling breath, the dentist is in an excellent position to diagnose this, or at least recommend the necessary blood work.

Contact a Philadelphia Dental Malpractice Lawyer

If your dentist has missed oral cancer or another medical issue causing you further health problems, contact the Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. today at 215-238-1130.